December, 1919 
FOREST AND STREAM! 
657 
A national policy mnst recognize the problems of the 
private owner of forests. Greater security of forest 
property from fire, better returns from timberlaud in 
the long run, and more stable industrial conditions must 
be sought. A program in which the public participates 
and recognizes industrial problems, like taxation, would 
enable private proprietors to handle their forests in a 
way not to be a public injury but to sem'e in building 
up the localities in which they are situated. 
There should be an extensive program of public for- 
ests, owned by the Nation, by the States, by municipali- 
ties, and, too, by quasi-public institutions and organiza- 
tions. The public forests to-day comprise about 2.3 per 
cent, of the total forest area of the country. They 
should be extended to include ultimately from 40 to 
50 per cent. 
Adequate funds should be provided to enable the 
Government and other public agencies to carry on in- 
vestigative work needed in carrying out a national policy 
of forcstrJ^ This would include investigations on a 
larger scale than at present in determining the best 
methods of forest practice, and also research in forest 
products. 
A program for the Nation must be an aggregate of 
local programs adapted to different conditions, and 
correlated and standardized through the Federal Gov- 
ernment to meet the broader requirements of the whole 
country. A national program cannot be put into effect 
in its entirety at once. Local programs will also prob- 
ably have to be worked out by steps. Some States are 
already able to go forward more rapidly than others, 
partly because of their financial strength an’d partly 
because experience has already demonstrated the meth- 
ods of protection and forestry required to secure re- 
sults on the ground. 
The initiation of a national policy of forestry requires 
as one of the first steps the passage of a Federal law that 
recognizes its objectives and j)rovides authority and 
means for the Government to extend co-operation with 
the States in the protection and perpetuation of the 
forests under their juri.sdielion along the foregoing lines. 
At the same time. Federal appropriations for the pur- 
chase of forest lands should be greatly increased. 
^luch can be accomplished pending such a law. Thus, 
there should be at once a joining of hands in a mo.st 
vigorous campaign for fire protection, that will educate 
the public to the dangers from fire and lead to more 
effective action in all forest regions. Individual States 
should go forward with plans for better legislation and 
larger support of forestry. But the passage of a basic 
Federal law with the aid that the Nation can offer 
would make possible the inauguration of a policy that 
Avould secure results impossible without national action. 
GEORGIA GA3IE LAWS 
^EORGIA has taken a step forward, in that she 
has put '‘teeth” and sharper and more teeth into 
her game laws. The act now clearly defines the pen- 
alties for violation of the game laws and provides that 
the penalty cannot be less than $10.00 nor more than 
$100.00 and all of the court costs, or in lieu of the 
fine, violators must work upon the public Avorlcs. which 
in this State means the chain-ga^ig. not le^s than 10 
days nor more than 90 days. The iinpr&ssion prevails 
throughout part of the State that violation of the 
game laws is a misdemeanor and that the court may 
impose a fine as low as $1.00. The penalty for the vio- 
lation of the game act is treated as a misdemeanor but 
provides also that the punishment mentioned above 
must l>e inflicted so that no fine Avill be less than $10.00. 
There has been in the past a good many fines in tho 
State for violation of the game laws, ■'he great majority 
of them being purely nominal, — $1.00 or $2.00 or maybe 
$5.00, many people care little about the fine, but 
the law reads now, the court must impose a very sub- 
stantial penalty. 
SUGGESTIONS FOR FIELD NATURALISTS. 
T he Bureau of Biological Survey has just published 
a circular entitled ‘“Suggestions for Field Studies 
of j\Iammalian Life-histories” Avhich contains some inter- 
esting hints for the field naturalist. 
For many years leading museums have been acquiring 
exhibit and study material representative of different 
groups of birds and mammals, until at present the Amer- 
ican collections are in many respects unsurpassed by 
those of any other country of the world. This relative 
completeness of research collections permits increased 
attention to the study of life histories. 
Equipment of field investigation of habits of mammals 
need not be elaborate and will often be at hand where 
needed. Pick, shovel, ax or large hatchet, trowel or large 
spoon, brusheutter, grasscutter, tapeline, sketch pad, 
coordinate paper and writing materials usually suffice 
for ordinary work. A bump of resourcefulness on the 
part of the investigator is perhaps the most important 
item of initial equipment. 
The study of mammalian life-histories opens a field of 
activity for any sincere student with an enthusiasm 
for closer acquaintance with wild life. No human being 
and no book, but Nature herself, is the supreme author- 
ity in natural histor 3 ^ The beginner may make as im- 
portant an observation as the veteran investigator. The 
ctTorts of all arc needed if our fund of information is ia 
any sense to be complete. 
Any department of natural histoiy, if pursued in the 
proper spirit, is replete with interest. But none, per- 
haps, promises a greater return in real satisfaction than, 
tlie .study of the home life of wild mammals and birds, 
Tiic Bureau of Biological Survey’’, U. S. Department 
of Agriculture, solicits correspondence from any indi- 
vidual or institution planning woi’k of this nature, and 
will be glad to assist with advice or suggestions as op- 
portunitj' may be given. 
IMPORTING QUAIL FR03I MEXICO 
T TNDER authority of law, notice has been given by 
^ the Secretaiy of Agriculture, that until f'urther 
order, permits issued or which may be issued under 
the “Regulations Governing the Importation of Quail 
into the United States from Northeastern iMexico, ” ap- 
proved and effective November 13, 1916, will authorize 
the entrA^ of such quail onlj^ between November 15 and 
iMarch 31 of the folloAving year, inclusive. 
In order to reduce the danger of introduction of quail 
diseases, applicants Avill be required to show that they 
are qiAalified to handle quail in captivity and are pre- 
pared to care for them under approved sanitary con- 
ditions during the period of quarantine. The right is 
reserved to issue permits onh' to those wlio are prop- 
erly qualified and haA'e facilities to care for the birds 
I’x accordance Avith the regulations. 
Tills is entireh' just and proper and "will tend to 
eliminate the careless and inhumane treatment attend- 
ed birds on such movements throughout the eomitg^ 
